Directional wireless communication

ABSTRACT

A method for establishing communication between a portable electronic device and an electronic gaming machine within a gaming environment includes receiving wireless signal data transmitted from the portable electronic device, determining a wireless signal strength relative to the electronic gaming machine based on the wireless signal data, and based on a determination that the wireless signal strength relative to the electronic gaming machine has increased, exceeded a predetermined threshold level, and leveled off for an amount of time exceeding a time threshold after becoming stronger, initiating a wireless communication link between the electronic gaming machine and the portable electronic device.

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to co-pendingand commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/335,613, filedon Dec. 22, 2011, and entitled “DIRECTIONAL WIRELESS COMMUNICATION,” theentirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entiretyand for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Described Embodiments

The described embodiments relate generally to gaming systems, such asgaming systems deployed in a casino enterprise. More particularly,apparatus and method for determining wireless connections of portableelectronic devices to electronic gaming machines are described.

2. Description of the Related Art

Developing and maintaining a loyal customer base is a critical componentof operating a successful casino enterprise. To develop a loyal customerbase, casino enterprises attempt to generate interactions with theirpatrons that provide a unique and personalized game playing experience.As an example, casino enterprises offer patrons the opportunity toparticipate in a loyalty program. Via the loyalty program, patrons areoffered various promotions and free items that encourage the patron toreturn to the casino.

In the loyalty program, the promotions can be tailored to a particularpatron's preferences. As an example, if preferred, a patron can chooseto receive promotional credits for game play on an electronic gamingmachine (EGM) and information regarding this preference can be stored toan account associated with the loyalty program. In general, informationregarding the patron's preferences for promotions as well as otheractivities within the casino enterprise, such as food, drink and roompreferences, can be stored to the patron's account associated with theloyalty program. The patron information stored in the account can beused to personalize the service and the game playing experience providedby the casino enterprise.

An ever increasing portion of patrons who visit casinos are regularlycarrying portable electronic devices, such as smart phones, laptops,netbooks and tablet computers capable of wireless communications, ontheir person. The portable electronic devices provide 1) a means ofcommunication allowing the patron to communicate with other individualswithin or outside of a casino via a number of different communicationmodes, 2) a source of news and information, 3) a portal to the patron'son-line activities, such as social media applications, 4) support forentertainment features, such as audio/video playback and gamingapplications, 5) a repository for personal information, such asfinancial information that enables financial transactions in mobilewallet applications and 6) a means of capturing information, such asvideo images and audio recordings. Thus, portable electronic devices,such as smart phones, are becoming essential tools and, in someinstances, the primary electronic interface for many individuals.

The popularity of portable electronic devices allows for the possibilityof utilizing their capabilities to further personalize and enhance thegaming experience in a casino gaming environment. In view of the above,methods and apparatus are desired that allow for complementaryinteractions with a portable electronic devices within a casinoenvironment, such as when a patron is participating in game play on anelectronic gaming machine or when a patron is in the vicinity of anelectronic gaming machine.

SUMMARY OF THE DESCRIBED EMBODIMENTS

A gaming system compatible with patron-controlled portable electronicdevices, such as smart phones, laptops, netbooks and tablet computers,is described. The gaming system can include gaming devices, such aselectronic gaming machines and system servers. The gaming system can beconfigured to establish or end active communication sessions with theportable electronic devices, depending on the strength of the wirelesssignal received from the portable electronic device. After the strengthof the wireless signal of the portable electronic device in a gamingenvironment, such as a casino, is determined, the system can beconfigured to initiate an active wireless communication session betweenthe portable electronic device and one or more nearby electronic gamingmachines.

According to one aspect, a wager-based gaming device is provided. Thewager-based gaming device is configured to receive wagers on an outcometo a game of chance. The gaming device includes a directional antenna, aprocessor, a memory, and a controller. The directional antenna receiveswireless signal data transmitted from a portable electronic device. Thewireless signal data indicates a presence of a portable electronicdevice in a wager-based gaming environment. The processor is configuredto receive the wireless signal data from the directional antenna and todetermine a signal strength from the wireless signal data. Thecontroller is configured to initiate a wireless communication linkbetween the gaming device and the portable electronic device if thesignal strength exceeds a predetermined threshold level.

According to another aspect, a gaming device is provided in a gamingsystem including a server, processor, memory and a network interface.The gaming device includes a directional antenna, an omni-directionalantenna, a processor, and a controller. The directional antenna detectsa presence of a portable electronic device in a wager-based gamingenvironment and also receives wireless signal data transmitted by theportable electronic device. The omni-directional antenna detects apresence of a portable electronic device in a wager-based gamingenvironment and also sends an attract feature to a portable electronicdevice. The processor determines and monitors a signal strength from thewireless signal data. The controller receives an indication of a wageron a wager-based game, in response to the wager, presents an outcome ofthe wager-based game, and initiates a wireless communication linkbetween the gaming device and the portable electronic device after thesignal strength exceeds a predetermined threshold level.

According to yet another aspect, a gaming device is provided in awager-based gaming environment. The gaming device includes a directionalantenna, a processor, and a controller. The directional antenna receivesa wireless signal from a portable electronic device located in front ofthe gaming device. The processor monitors a signal strength of thewireless signal received by the directional antenna. The controllerestablishes a wireless communication session between the gaming deviceand the portable electronic device if the processor determines that thesignal strength reaches at least a predetermined level.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments will be readily understood by the following detaileddescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein likereference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a block diagram of electronic gaming machines andportable electronic devices in accordance with the describedembodiments.

FIGS. 2A-2C graphically illustrate the strength of a signal from aportable electronic device over time.

FIG. 2D illustrates the signal direction of an omni-directional antennain an EGM.

FIG. 2E illustrates the signal directions of four omni-directionalantennas in four exemplary EGMs in close proximity.

FIG. 2F illustrates the signal directions of four directional antennasin four exemplary EGMs in close proximity.

FIG. 3 is flow diagram of a method of determining whether to initiate orterminate a wireless communication session between an EGM and a portableelectronic device in accordance with the described embodiments.

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of a gaming system including a server andgaming devices in accordance with the described embodiments.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective drawing of a gaming device in accordance withthe described embodiments.

DESCRIBED EMBODIMENTS

In the following paper, numerous specific details are set forth toprovide a thorough understanding of the concepts underlying thedescribed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled inthe art that the described embodiments may be practiced without some orall of these specific details. In other instances, well known processsteps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarilyobscuring the underlying concepts.

A gaming system compatible with portable electronic devices controlledby users of the gaming system is described. The gaming system caninclude a number of features that determine whether to wirelesslyconnect or disconnect portable electronic devices, such as, for example,smart phones, laptops, netbooks and tablet computers, to an EGM in acasino gaming environment. In particular embodiments, connection to anearby portable electronic device can be triggered on EGMs based uponthe detection of such a nearby portable electronic device and thewireless signal strength from the portable electronic device. In FIGS.1A and 1B, interactions involving wireless communications and details ofa wireless infrastructure for supporting these communications are shown.

In an embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, two banks of EGMs are shown. TenEGMs, 10 a-10 f, are in the first bank and ten EGMs, 12 a-12 f, are inthe second bank. The EGMs can be in wireless or wired communication withone or more remote servers, such as server 14 or server 15. A number ofpatrons can be located proximate to the EGMs where some of the patronsnear the EGMs can be engaging in a game play session. For instance,patron 20 is located near EGM 10 d and can be engaging in a game playsession on the EGM 10 d and patron 24 is located near EGM 10 d and canbe engaging in a game play session on EGM 12 j. Other patrons, such as22, can be walking or standing near the EGMs but not currently engagedin game play. The patrons not engaged in game play, like patrons engagedin game play, can be carrying portable electronic devices, such as asmart phone, a netbook or a tablet computer. For instance, patron 22 iscarrying a portable electronic device 16. Patrons who are engaged ingame play can also be carrying a portable electronic device 17. Forexample, patron 20 carrying portable electronic device 17 can already beengaged in game play.

In a casino, more than one portable electronic device 16, 17 may be inproximity to an EGM, as shown in FIG. 1A. In a busy casino, numeroussuch portable devices 16, 17 may be in proximity to the EGM. In suchcases, the EGM can use wireless signal strength of a particular portabledevice 16, 17 to determine whether to connect to or disconnect from thatparticular portable device. Generally, the stronger the wireless signalstrength of a particular portable device, the closer the device is tothe EGM and the more likely the owner of the device is to engage oralready be engaged in game play at the EGM.

For example, a player of an EGM is a person 20 typically sitting infront of the EGM 10 d and the player's portable electronic device 17 isthe one that should be wirelessly connected with the EGM 10 d as opposedto the portable device 16 belonging to a person, who is not engaged in agame play session, sitting at a bar near the EGM or walking near theEGM, such as patrons 22, 25 shown in FIG. 1A. As the person 20 sittingdirectly in front of the EGM 10 d is closer to the EGM 10 d and has aportable device 17 with a stronger signal than the device 16 of thepatrons 22, 25 not walking in the aisle, the EGM 10 d can use this logicto infer that the portable device 17 with the stronger signal belongs tothe player and that the portable device 17 is the one that should bewirelessly connected to the EGM 10 d.

In a typical casino, there are many EGMs in close proximity to oneanother, as shown in FIG. 1A. If several of the EGMs in a particularlocation are being played by people with such portable devices 17, eachEGM will detect several potential players, as the EGMs will detectwireless signals from more than one portable device 17. The EGM may alsodetect wireless signals from portable devices 16 belonging to people notengaged in a game play session. The system or the EGM itself candetermine that the weaker signals belong to portable devices that arefurther away and the stronger signals are closer to a particular EGM. Asdiscussed in more detail below, the EGM can have a configured thresholdthat it uses to determine which of the strongest signals to consider forconnection, and can determine whether to allow the weaker signals toconnect.

For example, if an EGM detects a new signal from a portable electronicdevice 16 and the signal from the device becomes stronger over time, asshown in FIG. 2A, then the EGM can make a wireless connection with thatportable device 16 by pairing the device 16 with the EGM when the signalstrength from the portable device exceeds a threshold level. If thesignal from the portable device 16 becomes stronger, the EGM can inferthat the portable device 16 is approaching the EGM and the owner of theportable 16 device may decide to play the EGM.

According to an embodiment, the EGM may initiate a wireless connectionwith the portable electronic device 16 if the EGM detects that thestrength of the wireless signal from the device has leveled off afterbecoming stronger, as shown in FIG. 2B. The leveling off of the signalstrength can indicate that the patron is no longer moving and is gettingready to engage in or already engaged in an active game play session atthe EGM. In one embodiment, the EGM can initiate the wireless connectionif it detects that the signal strength has leveled off for at least fiveseconds, or at least 10 seconds, or at least 30 seconds, which canindicate that the patron has stopped in front of an EGM with theintention to begin a game play session.

Bluetooth™ and Wi-Fi™ can be used to wirelessly pair a portable devicewith an EGM. Near field communication (NFC) pairing can also be used towirelessly connect an EGM with a portable device for facilitatingtransactions, data exchange, and other wireless communications betweenthe two devices when they are in close proximity to each other, usuallyabout a few centimeters. NFC chips embedded in a portable electronicdevice can be used to store information, such as credit card data,belonging to the owner of the portable electronic device. When thepatron waves or holds his or her portable electronic device near theEGM, or the portable electronic device is simply near the EGM, theportable electronic device can send such information to the EGM so thatthe EGM can identify the patron.

Once the portable device is paired to the EGM, payment information, suchas an electronic voucher or electronic fund transfer, can be provided tothe EGM to start a game play session. Player loyalty points can also betracked without the need for insertion of a player loyalty card into theEGM. Thus, a game play session can be started quickly and conveniently,as the patron with the paired portable electronic device only needs tobe within a predetermined range of the EGM. As noted above, once theportable electronic device is paired with the EGM, there is no need foranother form of payment so neither cash nor a paper payment voucherneeds to be inserted into the EGM. If the patron also has a playerloyalty account with the casino, loyalty tracking will take placewithout insertion of a separate player loyalty card. Thus, with thepairing, the patron will not mistakenly leave a credit card and/orloyalty card in an EGM after he or she has left the EGM.

As will be explained in more detail below, the wireless connectionbetween the portable electronic device and the EGM can be terminatedwhen the system determines that the signal strength has fallen below apredetermined threshold level. A weakening signal strength can indicatethat the portable electronic device is moving away (along with thepatron) from the EGM, and that the patron has finished his or her gameplay session on the EGM.

However, in some cases, a weakened signal does not necessarily mean thatthe patron has walked away or intends to end the game play session. Forexample, in some cases, if a signal strength weakens but the EGM iscontinues to be engaged in an active game play session, the weak signalstrength can indicate a bad pairing of the devices. If the systemdetects a bad pairing, a new wireless communication link between the EGMand the portable electronic device can be established. In other cases,the signal strength may become weaker but smoothes out as shown in FIG.2C, indicating that the patron had either moved a bit farther from theEGM or the pairing of the devices is faulty. If the EGM has continued tobe engaged in an active game play session during this time, then thesystem can infer that the pairing is faulty or that the player has moveda bit farther from the EGM, and the system or the EGM itself can attemptto initiate a new wireless communication link between the EGM and theportable electronic device. If the EGM is no longer engaged in an activegame play session, then the system can infer that the patron has leftthat EGM. In some cases, the patron might move to the next EGM to starta new game play session. In such cases, the system can check withadjacent EGMs to determine whether that patron is interested in startinga new game play session on another EGM. If so, then the system caninitiate a new wireless communication link between a new EGM and theportable electronic device, and terminate the wireless communicationlink between the previous EGM and the portable electronic device.

The pairing of the portable electronic device to an EGM can also providethe system with information including details about the patron,including the patron's preferences and playing history. The pairing canalso allow the system to track the patron's activity. Such tracking canenable the system to make offers directly to the patron's portableelectronic device via the wireless connection. For instance, the casinomight offer the patron a free drink.

According to an embodiment, the EGM can make a wireless connection bypairing with a portable electronic device 16 if the strength of thewireless signal from the portable device 16 exceeds a predeterminedthreshold level. In one embodiment, the predetermined threshold levelcan be a predetermined distance between the portable device and the EGM.As noted above, position data for a portable electronic device can bedetermined. The system or the EGM can approximate the distance based onthe signal strength. In another embodiment, the predetermined thresholdlevel can be simply the signal strength itself. Once the EGM and theportable device are paired, the EGM can continue to monitor or track thesignal from that portable device.

While the portable electronic device and the EGM are wirelessly paired,the patron may decide to participate in a group game at, for example,adjacent EGMs. As is described in more detail below a linked gamingfunction 644 (FIG. 4) can be used to provide game play activitiesinvolving a player participating as a group via multiple EGMs. Thus, thepatron's portable device can be paired with multiple EGMs.Alternatively, a game on an EGM can involve more than one player andthat EGM therefore can be paired to two different portable electronicdevices.

If the signal strength becomes weaker and falls below the predeterminedthreshold level, the system or the EGM itself may end the wirelessconnection by disconnecting the EGM from the portable device. A weakersignal strength can indicate increased distance between the EGM and theportable device. A patron who intends to end his or her game playsession at an EGM may simply walk away from the EGM without cashing out.Thus, the system can infer that when the signal strength from thepatron's portable device falls below the predetermined threshold level,the patron has walked away from the EGM because he or she is finishedwith the game play session on that EGM.

According to an embodiment, the wireless connection can be terminatedonly after a predetermined period of time, such as ten seconds or thirtyseconds or any other predetermined period of time. Terminating thewireless connection after a period of time, as opposed to immediatelyterminating when the signal strength falls below the threshold level,allows the connection to remain active for patrons who simply walk awayfrom the EGM and return to the game play session at the EGM without theintention of ending the game play session. For example, the patron maywalk away to talk to a friend or to buy a drink. The EGM may also endthe wireless connection if the patron cashes out from the EGM.

In a casino environment where hundreds of gaming machines can be locatedin close proximity to one another, loud noises and bright lightsemanating from multiple EGMs simultaneously in the same area cansometimes be annoying and disruptive to patrons. Thus, when a wirelesscommunication session has ended between an EGM and a portable electronicdevice, that EGM can switch to a power saving mode with dimmer lightsand sounds having lower volume.

According to an embodiment, the pairing between a portable electronicdevice and an EGM is initiated only after the owner of the portableelectronic device confirms that he or she wants to establish a wirelessconnection with the EGM. As described in more detail below, a QuickResponse (QR) code can pop up on a display of the EGM and the patron canuse his or her portable electronic device to confirm. Alternatively, theQR code can pop up on the display of the portable electronic device andthe patron can hold the QR code on the display up to a QR code reader ofthe EGM. In this embodiment, the EGM can send a signal or message to theowner of the portable electronic device asking whether the owner desiresto establish a wireless connection with the EGM. The owner of theportable electronic device can then either confirm or cancel using theportable electronic device or by pushing an electro-mechanical inputbutton or using a touch sensitive surface on the input panel 712 ortouch sensitive display 710 on the EGM 700, as shown in FIG. 5.

Even if the owner of the portable device 16 has not yet decided to playa particular EGM, the EGM can send an attract signal to the device 16 ifit detects that the signal from the portable device 16 is becomingstronger and the signal exceeds the predetermined threshold level. Asdiscussed in more detail below, an EGM can implement an attract featureto attract a potential player to the EGM and encourage him or her tobegin a play session on that EGM or on multiple EGMs for a group game.Attract features are described in detail in U.S. patent application Ser.No. 13/220,430, filed on Aug. 29, 2011 and entitled “ATTRACT BASED ONMOBILE DEVICE,” the entirety of which is hereby incorporated byreference herein for all purposes.

In some embodiments, the system can also monitor the portable electronicdevice to encourage responsible gaming. For example, if the system orthe EGM itself detects that a portable electronic device has been at anEGM for too long and the EGM has been engaged in an active game playsession during that period of time, the EGM can end the game playsession. In some embodiments, the EGM can send a message to the patron,either via a message on the EGM's display or a message to the patron'sportable electronic device, reminding the patron of responsible gaming.

Next, with respect to FIG. 3, a method 100 of determining whether toestablish a wireless communication session between a portable electronicdevice and an EGM is described. As described above, one or more of thesteps in the method can also be performed by an application executing onan EGM or on a portable electronic device. In 102, the presence of aportable electronic device can be detected. As an example, the presenceof the portable electronic device can be detected in a gamingenvironment, such as a casino, based upon passive monitoring of wirelesssignals transmitted from the portable electronic device. As anotherexample, the presence of the portable electronic device can be detectedwhen an active communication session is initiated between the portableelectronic device and one or more gaming devices in the gaming system,such as a system server or an EGM.

In 104, a wireless signal strength received from the portable electronicdevice can be determined. The determination can be made by either an EGMor a system server. The strength of the wireless signal can be used bythe system to estimate the position of the portable electronic device.Position data for a portable electronic device can also be determinedover time. The position data can be used to determine estimate avelocity for the device and possible predict a future position of thedevice. In one embodiment, a system server or an EGM can be configuredto receive accelerometer data from the portable electronic device. Theaccelerometer data can be used to determine the velocity of the deviceand estimate its future position.

In 106, a determination can be made as to whether the portableelectronic device is already engaged in an active wireless communicationsession with an EGM in the system with a patron engaged in game play. Ifthe system recognizes the portable electronic device as one that isalready engaged in an active wireless communication session with an EGMin the system, the system or the EGM itself will monitor the portableelectronic device in 112.

If the system determines that the portable electronic device is notalready engaged in an active wireless communication session with an EGM,in 108, a determination can be made as to whether to initiate a wirelesscommunication session between the portable electronic device and thenearest EGM that is not already engaged in an active game play session.In some embodiments, the nearest EGM might already be engaged in anactive game play session, but if the game is a group game in whichmultiple players can participate, that EGM can still be available forwireless pairing with another portable electronic device. In someembodiments, the determination can be based upon information, such aswhether the device has been actively moving over some time period andwhether any nearby EGMs are reporting any gaming activity. If an EGMthat is not engaged in a game play session detects a wireless signalfrom a portable device becoming stronger, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B,and exceeds a predetermined threshold level, a wireless communicationsession may be initiated between the EGM and the portable device in 110.

Once the wireless communication session is activated, the system willcontinue to monitor the signal strength that the EGM receives from theportable device in 112. If the system detects the signal strengthbecoming weaker, indicating that the patron is moving away from the EGM,the system can terminate the wireless communication session, in 114, ifthe signal strength falls below a predetermined threshold level.

Directional Antenna

As shown in FIG. 2D, an omni-directional antenna in an EGM communicateswirelessly in a sphere around the EGM. As an example, as shown in FIG.2E, when four EGMs with four players are in close proximity, each EGMcan connect with the portable electronic device belonging to eachplayer.

A directional antenna, as opposed to an omni-directional antenna, in theEGM allows the EGM to wirelessly connect to portable electronic devicesthat are in front of the EGM, as shown in FIG. 2F. For example, theEGM's detection of portable electronic devices can be limited to a fieldof vision that is, for example, 120° or 180° in front of the EGM. Thefield of vision of the directional antenna can be adjusted. Adirectional antenna in the EGM can be used to correctly differentiatebetween a player at the EGM and another player at an EGM in closeproximity.

In some embodiments in which the EGM has a directional antenna, theportable electronic device may not be paired to the nearest availableEGM if the portable electronic device is not in front of the EGM. Thus,for example, if a patron with a portable electronic device is standingto the side of or behind an EGM, the EGM will not attempt to initiate awireless communication session with that portable electronic device. Thedirectional antenna can be used to narrow in on the person directly infront of the EGM and eliminate others sitting next to the EGM, and canbe used in conjunction with signal strength and other methods, such asfor example NFC or QR codes, in determining with which portable devicethe EGM should be wirelessly paired.

In an embodiment, an EGM can have both an omni-directional antenna and adirectional antennal. The omni-directional antenna can be provided in anEGM in order to generate an attract feature and the directional antennacan be provided in the EGM for directional pairing of the EGM and aportable electronic device. The omni-directional antenna allows the EGMto send attract features to patrons in the vicinity of the EGM, whetherin front of or behind or to the side of the EGM. As noted above, thedirectional antenna can be used to correctly differentiate between apotential player and another person who happens to be near the EGM andis not interested in playing.

Wireless Architecture

The determination of whether to connect or disconnect from a wirelessmobile device involves the utilization of a wireless architecture. Thus,some details of a wireless architecture are described for the purpose ofillustration. The EGMs and the servers can be configured to communicatevia wireless communications with portable electronic devices. On theEGM, in one embodiment, wireless communications can be controlled by agame controller on the EGM. In other embodiments, a secondary controlleron the EGM, such as a secondary controller in a player tracking unit, acard reader, a bill validator or a printer, can be used to controlwireless communications as well as an attract feature involving aportable electronic device independently of the game controller. Forexample, a player tracking unit can include its own touch screen videodisplay, audio device and wireless communication capabilities that allowit to pair with a portable electronic device and to implement an attractfeature independently of the game controller.

In yet other embodiments, two or more different controllers can be usedto implement wireless communications, including an attract feature,involving a portable electronic device. In one embodiment, a firstcontroller, such as a player tracking controller, can handle wirelesscommunications with the portable electronic device. The player trackingcontroller can forward the communications to a second controller, suchas the game controller. In response, the game controller can wirelesslypair with a portable electronic device and/or implement an attractfeature on the EGM and possibly communicate with the portable electronicdevice via the player tracking unit.

The wireless communications can be used to implement for variousfunctions, including payment, player loyalty, and implementing attractfeatures involving one or more EGMs and/or portable electronic devices.To enable wireless communications, all or a portion of the EGMs can eachinclude one or more wireless transceivers. The EGMs can be configured tocommunicate using the wireless transceivers in a number of differentcommunication protocols depending on the capabilities of the portableelectronic device. For instance, communications protocols, such asBluetooth™, Wi-Fi™ and Near-Field Communication (NFC) can be implementedon the EGMs. Further details of the capabilities of the EGMs aredescribed with respect to FIGS. 5 and 6.

When implemented, devices implementing the protocols can have differentcommunication ranges. For instance, a class 2 Bluetooth™ device has arange of about 10 meters or less while a low power class 3 Bluetooth™device has a range of about 5 meters or less. NFC enabled devices canhave a range of about 4 cm or less. Indoors, depending on theobstructions and the version of Wi-Fi that is implemented, the range ofa Wi-Fi enabled device can be up to about 50 meters. A cellularcommunication range can be up to a few kilometers. The portableelectronic devices described herein can be enabled to simultaneouslyimplement multiple wireless communication protocols. Devices, such asEGMs, can be configured to detect and interpret wireless signalsformatted in different protocols. As will be discussed in more detailbelow, the different ranges associated with each protocol can be used,at a first pass, to determine the approximate location of a wirelesslytransmitting portable electronic device relative to a receiving device,such as an EGM.

In various embodiments, methods, such as triangulation, signal strengthdetermination and signal analysis can be used to determine anapproximate location of portable electronic device within a casinoincluding relative distance of a portable electronic device to otherdevices within the casino, such as an EGM. A location determination canbe performed by a server, such as 14 and 15 and/or an EGM to determinethe locations of nearby portable electronic devices. Further, portableelectronic devices can be provided with an application that allows it todetermine its relative indoor position, such as a position within acasino. The application may utilize information furnished by a casino,such as a floor plan, and the location of wireless signal sources withinthe casino to determine its relative position within an indoorenvironment, such as a casino.

A number of wireless access points (not shown) can be provided in thearea proximate to the banks of EGMs. As described in the previousparagraph, location information associated with the wireless accesspoints can be provided to portable electronic device used within thecasino. In one embodiment, via the wireless access points, a portableelectronic device, such as 16, can communicate with a server, such as 14and 15. In another embodiment, a portable electronic device may be ableto communicate with a server, such as 14 and 15, through an intermediarydevice, for example via an EGM. Besides being used for portable devicecommunication, via the wireless access points, an EGM, such as 10 a, mayalso be to communicate with servers, such as 14 and 15.

In particular embodiments, a plurality of receivers can be locatedwithin the casino environment for receiving wireless communicationsignals, such as, for example, 1) the signals that cellular capabledevices broadcast to cell phone towers, 2) the signals Wi-Fi™ enableddevices broadcast and 3) the signals Bluetooth™ enabled devicesbroadcast. In general, wireless signals can be formatted according tomany different types of communication protocols. Thus, differentreceivers configured to receive one or more different types of wirelesssignals and associated devices that process the wireless signalsaccording to an associated wireless communication protocol can beutilized.

In particular embodiments, wireless receivers of different types, i.e.,configured to receive wireless signals in one or more different portionsof the wireless spectrum can be incorporated into an EGM. A wirelessreceiver can be a separate component provided with the EGM or can bebuilt in a device provided with the EGM, such as but not limited to acard reader, bill validator, a player tracking unit or a printer. Insome instances, an EGM can include multiple wireless receivers. The datareceived from the various wireless receivers can be used in a methodused to determine the location of a portable electronic device, such asa method involving signal triangulation.

As an example, the cellular data signals can be processed according to acellular communication protocol, such as GSM or CDMA, to learninformation about the device that is broadcasting the information, suchas information that allows the cellular enabled device to be identifiedas a unique node in a cellular network. In one embodiment, one or moreof the EGMs can include this capability, i.e., the ability to receiveand process cellular data signals in a GSM or a CDMA format. Again, thisinformation can also be utilized for device location and trackingpurposes. Further, the information can be used for patron identificationpurposes if the player has registered unique device information, such asa phone number, with the casino enterprise.

In some instances, a single device can be configured to broadcastmultiple wireless communication protocols simultaneously. According tosuch an embodiment, a wireless device tracking system can be configuredto detect a single device in different wireless spectrums simultaneouslyand perform location estimations, such as triangulation, based on thesignals broadcast in the different wireless spectrums. For instance, asingle portable electronic device, such as a smart phone, can beconfigured to broadcast wireless signals in a cellular portion of thewireless spectrum and a Wi-Fi™ portion of the spectrum simultaneously.

A wireless device tracking system can be configured to determine twoestimates of its location using each of the two different types ofwireless signals that have been received. In one embodiment, the systemcan be configured to determine which of the two different locationestimates is more accurate and select the one determined more accuratefor use. In another embodiment, the system can be configured todetermine a single location estimate based upon each of the two locationestimates. For instance, the two location estimates can be averagedtogether to provide the single location estimate.

Wireless Signal Detection

In one embodiment, wireless receivers separate from the EGMs can bedistributed throughout a casino enterprise and can be used to detect thepresence of portable electronic devices, such as 16 or 17, via theirtransmitted cellular signals or other types of transmitted radiosignals. The wireless receivers can report their signal information to aserver, such as 14 and 15. Based upon the information interpreted fromthe received wireless signals, an approximate position of the portableelectronic device 16, 17 within the casino enterprise can be determined,such as a location on a casino floor. In particular, the position ofportable electronic devices 16, 17 relative to particular EGMs can beestimated. In other words, the approximate distance between a particularportable electronic device 16, 17 and an EGM can be estimated. Overtime, this process can be repeated, i.e., the wireless signalenvironment can be regularly sampled, such that a location historyversus time for various portable electronic devices 16, 17 can bedetermined.

Based upon this positional information determined for the portableelectronic devices, a system server can be configured to determinewhether to initiate a wireless connection between one or more of theportable devices and one or more EGMs. In another embodiment, an EGM canbe configured to utilize the positional information to initiate awireless connection with a portable electronic device. In yet otherembodiments, an EGM acting alone or in conjunction with other EGMs viapeer-to-peer communications can be configured to detect a nearbyportable electronic device and initiate a wireless connection with theportable electronic device independently of a system server. It will beunderstood that the devices described above can also trigger an attractfeature in addition to initiating a wireless connection between devices.

As described above, the portable electronic device can be recognized asbelonging to a particular patron. For instance, a patron that is amember of a loyalty program may have registered unique identificationinformation about the device, such as a MAC address and/or a phonenumber, to a loyalty account with the casino enterprise. The loyaltyaccount can store preference information about the patron, such aspreferred activities and promotions. The system, which can includeservers 14 and 15 and the EGMs, can be configured to determine whether aportable electronic device is associated with a particular patron and ifso determine whether any preference information is known about theparticular patron, such as preference information stored in the patron'sloyalty account. If preference information is known, then thisinformation can be used to initiate a wireless connection with theportable electronic device belonging to that patron and/or to generatean attract feature for the patron based upon his or her preferences,such as preferred game types, preferred game denominations, particulargames within a game type (e.g., a particular game generated on a videoslot machine or a particular game generated on a reel slot machine) orcombinations thereof.

In some instances, the portable electronic device may not be recognizedas belonging to a patron associated with a loyalty program.Nevertheless, the system can be configured to track the portableelectronic device and store information about activities that have takenplace near the portable electronic device when it has been detected at aparticular location. For instance, if a portable electronic device isdetermined to be located near an EGM for a period of time during whichgame play occurred, and the game play is associated with an anonymous orunidentified patron, the system can be configured to associate the gameplay activity to the portable electronic device as a proxy for theunidentified patron. Thus, when a portable electronic device is detectedand it is determined not to be associated with a patron registered witha loyalty program, the system can be configured to store informationabout activities that have been associated with the identified portableelectronic device. This information can be used to determine whether toinitiate a wireless connection or to trigger an attract feature or notand can possibly affect the content of an attract feature.

As part of the determination of whether to initiate a wirelessconnection, by, for example, triggering an attract feature, in responseto detecting the electronic device, the system can be configured todetermine whether the portable electronic device is associated with apatron, such as 22, currently not engaged in a gaming activity. In oneembodiment, the system can use location history information of theportable electronic device to make this determination. For instance, ifa position of the portable electronic device has been changing by someamount over some time period then the system may determine that thepatron carrying the device is not engaged in a gaming activity, as thepatron may be walking around the casino. This determination can involvecomparing the rate of change of movement to the portable electronicdevice to a threshold value.

As part of the determination, the system can be configured to query astatus of EGMs or other gaming devices near the patron, such as EGMs, 10a, 10 b, 10 c, 12 f, 12 g and 12 h. When all or a portion of thesedevices are reporting an idle status, then the system can determine thatthe patron is not engaged in a gaming activity since no gaming activityis occurring in the vicinity of the detected portable electronic device.Thus, in one embodiment, based upon information received within thegaming system, such as nearby EGM status and portable device positionalinformation, the system can be configured to determine whether theportable electronic device and hence the patron carrying the portableelectronic device is a candidate to receive an attract feature or tootherwise initiate a wireless connection with the portable electronicdevice. In another embodiment, the system can be configured to triggeran attract feature or to otherwise initiate a wireless connectionindependently of the movement history of the portable electronic deviceand/or the status of nearby gaming devices.

In another embodiment, the system can be configured to communicate withan application executing on the portable electronic device, theapplication can be configured to report accelerometer data and/orpositional data of the portable electronic device to the system. Suchdata can be used to determine whether the device is moving or not andhence can indicate whether the patron is engaged in gaming activity. Ifthe portable electronic device is moving, then the system can presumethat the patron is not engaged in gaming activity. Even if it the systemdetects that the portable electronic device is not moving, it isnecessarily engaged in gaming activity. In such cases, the system cancheck the EGM nearest the portable electronic device to determine if theEGM has an active game play session.

In yet another embodiment, based upon accelerometer data measured by theportable electronic device and wireless data broadcast from devices inthe system that are received by the portable electronic device, anapplication on the portable electronic device can be configured todetermine its relative position within a casino. The portable electronicdevice can be configured to report this position to the system, such asto servers 14 and 15. The patron can be enticed to allow their device tosend this information to the system with the possibility of receivingpromotions.

In yet another embodiment, an application running on a portableelectronic device, such as 16 or 17, can be configured with userselectable parameters indicating preferences of the user, such as a gametype (i.e., mechanical or video slot) and a particular game (i.e., aparticular game or a game denomination). This information can bebroadcast by the portable electronic device and received by systemdevices, such as a server 15 or an EGM 10 a. Based upon these settings,a system server or an EGM may only establish a wireless communicationsession when an EGM is nearby that meets the selected criteria. Forinstance, if the patron has selected parameter(s) in the applicationthat indicates his or her interest in large jackpot progressive games(i.e., jackpots above a threshold value of one million dollars or more),then a wireless communication link will only be established with an idleEGM nearby that provides this type of game play. As another example, ifthe patron has selected parameters in that application that indicatestheir interest in games of only a dollar denomination then a wirelesscommunication session may not be established with EGMs that do not meetthese criteria. As described above, this information can also be storedto the patron's loyalty account. However, using an application executingon the patron's portable electronic device can allow for patrons notregistered in a loyalty program to express preferences that can affectwhether a wireless communication link is established with that patron'sdevice.

In other embodiments, an application on a patron's portable electronicdevice 16 can be configured to instruct a system server or an EGM to usegame play history information stored on the portable electronic deviceor within the gaming system to specify parameters that affect theinitiation of wireless connection. In particular, the applicationexecuting on the patron's portable electronic device can include a userselectable parameter that instructs an EGM or a system server toinitiate a wireless connection based upon their game play history. As anexample, a patron can select a parameter that instructs the system toinitiate a wireless connection even if the patron is outside the normalrange for connection. For example, if the normal range of the system forconnection is 10 yards and if the patron's game play history informationindicates that the patron likes a particular type of game and there isan EGM with such a game within 20 yards of the patron, the system can beconfigured to initiate a wireless connection with the portableelectronic device 16 belonging to that patron even though the patron isoutside the normal connection range. If the patron's device includesinformation about the patron's game play history, this information canbe uploaded to the system and used in conjunction with user selectableparameters about the game play history to determine whether to initiatea wireless connection and/or to trigger an attract feature.

When the patron 22 approaches one of the EGMs and is within apredetermined range, a wireless communication link can be establishedbetween one of the EGMs and the patron's portable electronic device. Inone embodiment, the predetermined range is a radius of about 10 yardsaround the EGM. In another embodiment, the predetermined range can be aradius of about 15 yards around the EGM. The system can be configured toset different predetermined ranges for particular EGMs and/or portabledevices. The different predetermined ranges can be based on criteria,such as, for example, a patron's preferences, game play history of theportable electronic device, game play history of the EGM, an applicationon the patron's portable electronic device, as well as casino defaultranges. Once the wireless communication link is established between theEGM and portable electronic device, a game play session can begin. Inanother embodiment, an attract feature, such as an offer, can be sent tothe portable electronic device to encourage the patron to begin a gameplay session. The attract feature can be sent to the portable electronicdevice by either a server or the EGM itself.

If a nearby EGM as already occupied by a patron engaged in an activegame play session, the system will not establish a new wirelesscommunication link between that EGM and a portable electronic device 17belonging to another patron nearby. The system can also be configured toaccount to add spacing between occupied EGMs and EGMs with which awireless communication link can be established. For example, with EGMs10 d and 12 j occupied, the system can be configured not to establishwireless communication with EGM 10 c, 10 e or 12 i for patron 22 so asnot to disturb patrons 20 and 24.

The system can also monitor a movement rate or direction of a patroncarrying a portable electronic device. As described above, the systemcan be configured to estimate a speed and/or direction of a portableelectronic device, by monitoring wireless signal strength of a portableelectronic device carried by the patron. This information can be used bythe system to determine which devices with which to initiate a wirelessconnection. For example, if it is determined that, via portableelectronic device 16, patron 22 is not moving because the wirelesssignal strength remains constant, then EGMs 10 a or 12 f can be selectedto initiate a wireless communication link with the portable electronicdevice 16. If it is determined that patron 22 is moving slowly towardspatron 20 because the wireless signal strength is gaining strength, thenEGMs 10 b and 12 g slightly ahead of the patron's position can beselected to initiate a wireless communication link. According to anembodiment, if it is determined that patron 22 is moving away from thetwo banks of EGMs because the wireless signal is losing strength, thennone of the EGMs in the two banks will initiate a wireless connectionwith the portable electronic device 16 belonging to that patron 22.Instead EGMs (not shown), ahead of the patron's position that the patronencounters if they continue to move on their current path can beselected.

If two portable electronic devices transmit signals having the samestrength, the server or the EGM can send a message to both devicesasking the owner of each device whether he or she would like toestablish a wireless communication link with the EGM. In one embodiment,in which NFC pairing is used, a message can be sent to the devicesasking the owner of the device to swipe it at the EGM to establish awireless communication link.

As described above, a wireless communication link in the system can betriggered by a server, an EGM or a combination of an EGM and a server.For instance, server 14 can receive and/or generate informationregarding the position of portable electronic device 16 and notifynearby EGMs of the devices relative proximity. Then, one of the nearbyEGMs can make the determination of whether to establish a wirelesscommunication session with the portable electronic device 16. In anotherexample, one or more of the EGMs near portable electronic device 16,such as EGMs 10 a, 10 b, 10 c, 12 f, 12 g and 12 h can detect portableelectronic device 16. The EGMs that detect the device 16 can send amessage to server 14 indicating the detection of the device and statusinformation that can affect whether a wireless communication link isinitiated, such as whether they are idle or not. According to oneembodiment, if the server 14 receives information from two or morenearby EGMs indicating the portable device 16 has been detected and eachEGM is available for a game play session, then the server 14 can beconfigured to select the nearest available EGM to establish a wirelesscommunication session between that EGM and the portable device.

In another embodiment, an EGM, such as 10 c, can detect the presence ofa portable electronic device, such as 18, and determine whether toinitiate a wireless communication session. As discussed above, thedetermination of whether to initiate a wireless communication sessionupon detecting a portable electronic device can be based on such factorsas a signal strength, the strength of the signal detected over some timeperiod, the current status of the EGM (e.g., idle or not), if the EGM isin an idle state how long it has been in the idle state and/orcombinations thereof. The determination can be made independently of thesystem server. In yet another embodiment, prior to initiating thewireless communication session with the portable device, an EGM can beconfigured to query nearby EGMs via a peer-to-peer communication. Thepeer-to-peer communication may request information, such as whether anynearby EGMs detect the same portable electronic device, if the device isdetected what is the signal strength, whether any nearby electronicdevice has already established a wireless communication session with theportable electronic device in response to the detection of the portableelectronic device.

In one embodiment, a group of EGMs can be configured to negotiate amongthemselves to determine which EGM is to initiate a wirelesscommunication session with the portable electronic device. For instance,three EGMs, such as 10 a, 10 b and 10 c, can detect a portableelectronic device 18. The three EGMs can exchange signal strengthinformation and it can be decided that 10 c is to initiate the wirelesscommunication session because its signal strength is the highest. Inanother embodiment, the three EGMs can be involved in a group game playsession during which each of the three EGMs can be in wirelesscommunication with multiple portable devices.

In one embodiment, when the portable electronic device is configured totransmit patron preferences, an EGM can receive this information andcompare the received information to its configuration to determinewhether or not to initiate a wireless communication session. Forinstance, when EGM, such as 10 c, receives information from a portableelectronic device, such as 18, indicating the patron prefers one dollardenomination games and the EGM is not a one dollar denomination machine,it can decide not to establish a wireless communication link with theportable electronic device 18. If the EGM meets the criteria of theinformation received from the portable electronic device, such as aparticular denomination and a particular game, then the EGM candetermine in combination with one or more of the parameters described inthe preceding paragraph whether to initiate a wireless communicationsession with the portable electronic device.

FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of a gaming system 600 in accordance withthe described embodiments. The gaming system 600 can include one or moreservers, such as server 602, and a variety of gaming devices includingbut not limited to table gaming devices, such as 652, mobile gamingdevices, such as 654, and slot-type gaming devices, such as 656. Thetable gaming devices, such as 652, can include apparatus associated withtable games where a live operator or a virtual operator is employed. Thegaming devices and one or more servers can communicate with one anothervia a network 601. The network can include wired, wireless or acombination of wired and wireless communication connections andassociated communication routers.

Some gaming devices, such as 652, 654 and 656, can be configured with aplayer interface that allows at least 1) selections, such as a wageramount, associated with a wager-based game to be made and 2) an outcomeof the wager-based game to be displayed. As an example, gaming devices,652, 654 and 656, include player interfaces, 652 a, 654 a and 656 a,respectively. Typically, gaming devices with a player interface arelocated in publically accessible areas, such as a casino floor. On theother hand, some gaming devices, such as server 602, can be located inpublically inaccessible areas, such is in a back-room of a casino oreven off-site from the casino. Gaming devices located in publicallyinaccessible areas may not include a player interface. For instance,server 602 does not include a player interface. However, server 602includes an administrator interface 635 that allows functions associatedwith the server 602 to be adjusted.

An example configuration of a gaming device is described with respect togaming device 604. The gaming device 604 can include 1) a gamecontroller 606 for controlling a wager-based game played on the gamingdevice and 2) a player interface 608 for receiving inputs associatedwith the wager-based game and for displaying an outcome to thewager-based game. In more detail, the game controller 606 can include a)one or more processors, such as 626, b) memory for holding softwareexecuted by the one or more processors, such as 628, c) a power-hittolerant memory, such as 630, d) one or more trusted memories, such as632, e) a random number generator and f) a plurality of softwareapplications, 610. The other gaming devices, including table gamingdevice 652, mobile gaming device 654, slot-type gaming device 656 andserver 602, can each include a game controller with all or a portion ofthe components described with respect to game controller 606.

In particular embodiments, the gaming device can utilize a “state”machine architecture. In a “state” machine architecture criticalinformation in each state is identified and queued for storage to apersistent memory. The architecture doesn't advance to the next statefrom a current state until all the critical information that is queuedfor storage for the current state is stored to the persistent memory.Thus, if an error condition occurs between two states, such as a powerfailure, the gaming device implementing the state machine can likely berestored to its last state prior to the occurrence of the errorcondition using the critical information associated with its last statestored in the persistent memory. This feature is often called a “rollback” of the gaming device. Examples of critical information can includebut are not limited to an outcome determined for a wager-based game, awager amount made on the wager-based game, an award amount associatedwith the outcome, credits available on the gaming device and a depositof credits to the gaming device.

The power-hit tolerant memory 630 can be used as a persistent memory forcritical data, such as critical data associated with maintaining a“state” machine on the gaming device. One characteristic of a power-hittolerant memory 630 is a fast data transfer time. Thus, in the event ofa power-failure, which might be indicated by a sudden power fluctuation,the critical data can be quickly loaded from volatile memory, such asRAM associated with the processor 626, into the power-hit tolerantmemory 630 and saved.

In one embodiment, the gaming device 605 can be configured to detectpower fluctuations and in response, trigger a transfer of critical datafrom RAM to the power-hit tolerant memory 630. One example of apower-hit tolerant memory 630 is a battery-backed RAM. The batterysupplies power to the normally volatile RAM so that in the event of apower failure data is not lost. Thus, a battery-backed RAM is also oftenreferred to as a non-volatile RAM or NV-RAM. An advantage of abattery-backed RAM is that the fast data transfer times associated witha volatile RAM can be obtained.

The trusted memory 632 is typically a read-only memory of some type thatmay be designed to be unalterable. An EPROM or EEPROM are two types ofmemory that can be used as a trusted memory 632. The gaming device 604can include one or more trusted memories. Other types of memories, suchas Flash memory, can also be utilized as an unalterable memory and theexample of an EPROM or EEPROM is provided for purposes of illustrationonly.

Prior to installation the contents of a trusted memory, such as 632, canbe verified. For instance, a unique identifier, such as a hash value,can be generated on the contents of the memory and then compared to anaccepted hash value for the contents of the memory. The memory may notbe installed if the generated and accepted hash values do not match.After installation, the gaming device can be configured to check thecontents of the trusted memory. For instance, a unique identifier, suchas a hash value, can be generated on contents of the trusted memory andcompared to an expected value for the unique identifier. If thegenerated value of the unique identifier and the expected value of theunique identifier don't match, then an error condition can be generatedon the gaming device 604. In one embodiment, the error condition canresult in the gaming device entering a tilt state where game play istemporarily disabled on the gaming device.

Sometimes verification of software executed on the gaming device 604 canbe performed by a regulatory body, such as a government agency. Oftensoftware used by a game controller, such as 606, can be highlyregulated, where only software approved by a regulatory body is allowedto be executed by the game controller 606. In one embodiment, thetrusted memory 632 can store authentication programs and/orauthentication data for authenticating the contents of various memorieson the gaming device 604. For instance, the trusted memory 632 can storean authentication program that can be used to verify the contents of amass storage device, such as 620, which can include software executed bythe game controller 606.

The random number generator (RNG) 634 can be used to generate randomnumbers that can be used to determine outcomes for a game of chanceplayed on the gaming device. For instance, for a mechanical or videoslot reel type of game, the RNG, in conjunction with a paytable thatlists the possible outcomes for a game of chance and the associatedawards for each outcome, can be used to generate random numbers fordetermining reel positions that display the randomly determined outcomesto the wager-based game. In other example, the RNG might be used torandomly select cards for a card game. Typically, as described above,the outcomes generated on a gaming device, such as 604, are consideredcritical data. Thus, generated outcomes can be stored to the power-hittolerant memory 630.

Not all gaming devices may be configured to generate their own gameoutcomes and thus, may not use an RNG for this purpose. In someembodiments, game outcomes can be generated on a remote device, such asserver 602, and then transmitted to the gaming device 604 where theoutcome and an associated award can be displayed to the player via theplayer interface 608. For instance, outcomes to a slot-type game or acard game can be generated on server 602 and transmitted to the gamingdevice 604.

In other embodiments, the gaming device 604 can be used to play centraldetermination games, such as bingo and lottery games. In a centraldetermination game, a pool of game outcomes can be generated and then,particular game outcomes can be selected as needed (e.g., in response toa player requesting to play the central determination game) from thepool of previously generated outcomes. For instance, a pool of gameoutcomes for a central determination game can be generated and stored onserver 602. Next, in response to a request to play the centraldetermination game on gaming device 604, one of the outcomes from thepool can be downloaded to the gaming device 604. A game presentationincluding the downloaded outcome can be displayed on the gaming device604.

In other embodiments, thin client type gaming devices, such as mobilegaming devices used to play wager-based video card or video slot games,may be configured to receive at least game outcomes from a remote deviceand not use an RNG to generate game outcomes locally. The game outcomescan be generated remotely in response to inputs made on the mobiledevice, such as an input indicating a wager amount and/or an input toinitiate the game. This information can be sent from the mobile deviceto a remote device, such as from mobile gaming device 654 to server 602.After receiving the game outcome from the remote device, a gamepresentation for the game outcomes generated remotely can be generatedand displayed on the mobile device. In some instances, the gamepresentation can also be generated remotely and then streamed fordisplay to the mobile device.

The game controller 606 can be configured to utilize and execute manydifferent types of software applications 610. Typically, the softwareapplications utilized by the game controller 606 can be highly regulatedand may undergo a lengthy approval process before a regulatory bodyallows the software applications to be utilized on a gaming devicedeployed in the field, such as in a casino. One type of softwareapplication the game controller can utilize is an Operating System (OS).The OS can allow various programs to be loaded for execution by theprocessor 626, such as programs for implementing a state machine on thegaming device 606. Further, the OS can be used to monitor resourceutilization on the gaming device 606. For instance, certainapplications, such as applications associated with game outcomegeneration and game presentation that are executed by the OS can begiven higher priority to resources, such as the processor 626 and memory628, than other applications that can be executing simultaneously on thegaming device.

As previously described, the gaming device 604 can execute software fordetermining the outcome of a wager-based game and generating apresentation of the determined game outcome including displaying anaward for the game. As part of the game outcome presentation one or moreof 1) electro-mechanical devices, such as reels or wheels, can beactuated, 2) video content can be output to video displays, 3) soundscan be output to audio devices, 4) haptic responses can be actuated onhaptic devices or 5) combinations thereof, can be generated undercontrol of the game controller 606. The peripheral devices used togenerate components of the game outcome presentation can be associatedwith the player interface 608 where the types of devices that areutilized for the player interface 608 can vary from device to device.

To play a game, various inputs can be required. For instance, via inputdevices coupled to the gaming device 604, a wager amount can bespecified, a game can be initiated or a selection of a game choiceassociated with the play of the game can be made. The software 610executed by the game controller 606 can be configured to interpretvarious signals from the input devices, such as signals received from atouch screen controller or input buttons, and affect the game played onthe gaming device in accordance with the received input signals. Theinput devices can also be part of the player interface 608 provided withthe gaming device, such as 604.

In other embodiments, the gaming software 610 executed by the gamecontroller 606 can include applications that allow a game historyincluding the results of a number of past games to be stored, such asthe previous 10 or 100 games played on the gaming device 604. The gamehistory can be stored to a persistent memory including but not limitedto the power-hit tolerant memory 630. The gaming controller 606 canconfigured to provide a menu (typically, only operator accessible), thatallows the results of a past game to be displayed via the playerinterface 608. The output from the history menu can include are-creation of the game presentation associated with a past gameoutcome, such as a video representation of card hand associated with avideo poker game, a video representation of a reel configurationassociated with a video slot game, and/or raw data associated with thepast game result, such as an award amount, an amount wagered, etc. Thehistory menu can be used for dispute resolution purposes, such as if aplayer complains that they have not been properly awarded for a gamepreviously played on the gaming device 604.

The reporting software can be used by the game controller 606 to reportevents that have occurred on the gaming device 604 to remote device,such as server 602. For instance, in one embodiment, the game controller606 can be configured to report error conditions that have been detectedon the gaming device 604, such as if a device has malfunctioned or needsattention. For instance, the reporting software can be used to send amessage from the gaming device 604 to the server 602 indicating that aprinter on the gaming device needs a refill of tickets. In anotherembodiment, the gaming controller 606 can be configured to reportsecurity events that may have occurred on the gaming device 604, such asbut not limited to if a door is opened, a latch is activated or aninterior portion of the gaming device 604 has been accessed.

In yet other embodiments, the game controller 606 can be configured toreport gaming activity and associated events that has been generated onthe gaming device, such as a deposit of cash or an indicia of credit, atthe gaming device, a generation of game outcome including an associatedaward amount and a dispensation of cash or an indicia of credit from thegaming device 604. As part of a loyalty program, the gaming activity canbe associated with a particular player. The reporting software caninclude player tracking elements that allow the gaming activity of aparticular player to be reported to a remote device, such as server 602.

The game controller 606 can execute the authentication software toverify the authenticity of data and/or software programs executed on thegaming device 604. For instance, the authentication software can be usedto verify the authenticity of data and/or software applications whenthey are first downloaded to the gaming device 604. Further, theauthentication software can be used to periodically verify theauthenticity of data and/or software applications currently residing onthe gaming device, such as software applications stored on one of thememories coupled to the gaming device 604 including applications loadedinto the memory 628 for execution by the processor 626.

The communication software executed by the game controller 606 can beused to communicate with a variety of devices remote to the gamingdevice 604. For instance, the communication software can be used tocommunicate with one or more of a) servers remote to the device, such as602, b) other gaming devices, such as table gaming device 652, mobilegaming device 654 and slot-type gaming device 656 and c) mobile devicescarried by casino personnel or players in the vicinity of the gamingdevice 604. Via the communication software, the game controller can beconfigured to communicate via many different communication protocols.For instance, different wireless and/or wired communication protocolscan be implemented. Further, proprietary or non-proprietary gamingspecific protocols can be implemented. For instance, gaming specificnon-proprietary communication protocols, such as G2S (game to system),GDS (gaming device standard) and S2S (system to system) communicationprotocols provided by the Gaming Standards Association (GSA), Fremont,Calif., can be implemented on the gaming devices described herein.

The gaming device 604 can communicate with one or more remote devicesvia one or more network interfaces, such as 612. For instance, vianetwork interfaces 612 and the network 601, the gaming device 604 cancommunicate with other gaming devices, such as server 602 and/or gamingdevices, 652, 654 and 656. The network interfaces can provide wired orwireless communications pathways for the gaming device 604. Some gamingdevices may not include a network interface or can be configured tooperate in a stand-alone mode where the network interface is notconnected to a network.

In other embodiments, a mobile device interface or interfaces, such as614, can be provided for communicating with a mobile device, such as acell phone or a tablet computer carried by players or casino personneltemporarily in the vicinity of the gaming device 604. A wirelesscommunication protocol, such as Bluetooth™ and a Wi-Fi compatiblestandard, can be used for communicating with the mobile devices via themobile device interfaces 614. In one embodiment, the mobile deviceinterface can implement a short range communication protocol, such as anear-field communication (NFC) protocol used for mobile walletapplications. NFC is typically used for communication distances of 4 cmor less. In addition, a wired communication interface, such as a dockingstation, can be integrated into the gaming device, such as 604. Thewired communication interface can be configured to providecommunications between the gaming device 604 and the mobile deviceand/or providing power to the mobile device.

Near field communication, or NFC, allows for simplified transactions,data exchange, and connections with a touch. Formed in 2004, the NearField Communication Forum (NFC Forum) promotes sharing, pairing, andtransactions between NFC devices and develops and certifies devicecompliance with NFC standards. NFC's short range helps keep encryptedidentity documents private. Thus, a smartphone or tablet with an NFCchip can make a credit card/debit card payment to a gaming device orserve as keycard or ID card for a loyalty program. Further, an NFCdevice can act a hotel room key. The user of an NFC device as a hotelroom keys and/or a player tracking card instrument may allow fast VIPcheck-in and reduce staffing requirements.

NFC devices can read NFC tags on a gaming device 604 to get moreinformation about the gaming device including an audio or videopresentation. For instance, a tap of an NFC enabled device to a gamingdevice can be used to instantly share a contact, photo, song,application, video, or website link. In another example, an NFC enableddevice can be used to transfer funds to the gaming device or enter theplayer in a multi-player tournament. As another example, an NFC enableddevice can be used to receive information from a gaming device that canbe used in a persistent gaming application or a social mediaapplication.

Further, NFC enabled signage can include NFC tags that allow a patron tolearn more information about the content advertised in the signage. TheNFC enabled signage can be part of a gaming system. For instance, a signadvertising a show available at the casino can be configured to transferinformation about the show, show times and ticketing information via anNFC tag. As another example, a sign showing jackpot information, such asprogressive jackpot information, can be used to transfer informationabout the jackpot, such as the last time the jackpot was won and whereit was won.

In one embodiment, an NFC interface on a gaming device can be used toset-up a higher speed communication between the gaming device andanother NFC enabled device such as smart phone. The higher speedcommunication rates can be used for expanded content sharing. Forinstance, a NFC and Bluetooth enabled gaming device can be tapped by anNFC and Bluetooth enabled smart phone for instant Bluetooth pairingbetween the devices. Instant Bluetooth pairing between a gaming deviceand an NFC enabled device, such as a smartphone, can save searching,waiting, and entering codes. In another example, a gaming device can beconfigured as an NFC enabled router, such as a router supporting a Wi-Ficommunication standard. Tapping an NFC enabled device to an NFC enabledand Wi-Fi enabled gaming device can be used to establish a Wi-Ficonnection between the two devices.

As an example, the NFC communication can be used to exchange informationto allow pairing to be established between a user-controlled device andthe gaming device 604. For instance, Bluetooth™ pairing occurs when twoBluetooth devices agree to communicate with each other and establish aconnection. In order to pair two Bluetooth wireless devices, a password(passkey) is exchanged between the two devices. The Passkey is a codeshared by both Bluetooth devices, which proves that both users haveagreed to pair with each other. After the passkey code is exchanged, anencrypted communication can be set up between the pair devices. In Wi-Fiparing, every pairing can be set up with WPA2 encryption or another typeof encryption scheme to keep the transfer private. Wi-Fi Direct is anexample of a protocol that can be used to establish point-to-pointcommunications between two Wi-Fi devices. The protocol allows for aWi-Fi device pair directly with another without having to first join alocal network. The method makes it possible to share media from a phone,play multiplayer games or otherwise communicate directly, even when norouter exists. Via pairing between the gaming device 604 and portableelectronic device, a portable electronic device may be able to utilizesome of the functionality of secondary devices residing on the gamingdevice 604. For instance, it may be possible for a player to printsomething from their portable electronic device using the printer on thegaming device 604 when it is paired to the gaming device 604.

The gaming device 604 can include one or more each of value inputdevices 616 and value output device 618. The value input devices 616 canbe used to deposit cash or indicia of credit onto the gaming device. Thecash or indicia of credit can be used to make wagers on games played onthe gaming device 604. Examples of value input devices 616 include butare not limited to a magnetic-striped card or smart card reader, a billand/or ticket acceptor, a network interface for downloading credits froma remote source, a wireless communication interface for reading creditdata from nearby devices and a coin acceptor. A few examples of valueinput devices are shown in FIG. 5.

The value output devices can be used to dispense cash or indicia ofcredit from the gaming device 604. Typically, the indicia of credit canbe exchanged for cash. For instance, the indicia of credit can beexchanged at a cashier station or at a redemption station. Examples ofvalue output devices can include a network interface for transferringcredits into a remote account, a wireless communication interface thatcan be used with a mobile device implementing mobile wallet application,a coin hopper for dispensing coins or tokens, a bill dispenser, a cardwriter, a printer for printing tickets or cards redeemable for cash orcredits. Another type of value output device is a merchandise dispenser,which can be configured to dispense merchandise with a tangible valuefrom a gaming device. A few examples of value output devices are shownin FIG. 5.

The combination of value input devices 616 and value output devices 618can vary from device to device. In some embodiments, a gaming device 604may not include a value input device or a value output device. Forinstance, a thin-client gaming device used in a mobile gamingapplication may not include a value input device and a value outputdevice. Instead, a remote account can be used to maintain the creditswon or lost from playing wager-based games via the mobile device. Themobile device can be used to access the account and affect the accountbalance via game play initiated on the mobile device. Credits can bedeposited or withdrawn from the remote account via some mechanism otherthan via the mobile device interface.

In yet other embodiments, the gaming device 604 can include one or moresecondary controllers 619. The secondary controllers can be associatedwith various peripheral devices coupled to the gaming device, such asthe value input devices and value output devices described in thepreceding paragraphs. As another example, the secondary controllers canbe associated with peripheral devices associated with the playerinterface 608, such as input devices, video displays, electro-mechanicaldisplays and a player tracking unit. In some embodiments, the secondarycontrollers can receive instructions and/or data from and provideresponses to the game controller 606. The secondary controller can beconfigured to interpret the instructions and/or data from the gamecontroller 606 and control a particular device according to the receivedinstructions and/or data. For instance, a print controller may receive aprint command with a number of parameters, such as a credit amount andin response print a ticket redeemable for the credit amount. In anotherexample, a touch screen controller can detect touch inputs and sendinformation to the game controller 606 characterizing the touch input.

In a particular embodiment, a secondary controller can be used tocontrol a number of peripheral devices independently of the gamecontroller 606. The game controller may or may not be able to providecontrol commands for these peripheral devices. For instance, a playertracking unit can include one or more of a video display, a touchscreen, card reader, network interface, a wireless interface forcommunicating with a portable electronic device, a wireless receiver fordetecting a portable electronic device or input buttons that are onlyconfigured to receive control commands from a player tracking controllerand not the game controller. A secondary controller, such as a playertracking controller, can control these devices to provide playertracking services and bonusing on the gaming device 604. In alternateembodiments, the game controller 604 can control one or more of thesedevices to perform player tracking functions.

Other devices besides player tracking units, such as card readers, billvalidators and printers which are utilized on a gaming device 604, canalso include secondary controllers that can be used to perform functionsindependently of a game controller. In particular embodiments, asecondary controller on one of these devices can be used to initiate awireless communication session involving a portable electronic device,as described above. For instance, a player tracking unit may be able todetect a portable electronic device and initiate a wirelesscommunication session the portable electronic device.

In yet other embodiments, a secondary controller and the game controller606 can share one or more devices on the gaming device. For instance,the secondary controller at times may be able to utilize a portion ofthe video display that used by the game controller to output a game ofchance. Logic can be provided that arbitrates which controller isallowed to control a particular shared device at a particular time. Thearbitration can depend on the current state of the gaming device. Thus,in some instances depending on the current state of the gaming device, afirst controller, such as a game controller, can be given control over ashared device while in other instances, a secondary controller, such asa player tracking controller, can be given control over a shared device.

An advantage of performing player tracking functions via a secondarycontroller, such as a player tracking controller, is that since theplayer tracking functions do not involve controlling the wager-basedgame, the software on the player tracking unit can be developed modifiedvia a less lengthy and regulatory intensive process than is required forsoftware executed by the game controller 606, which does control thewager-based game. In general, using a secondary controller, certainfunctions of the gaming device 604 that are not subject to as muchregulatory scrutiny as the game play functions can be decoupled from thegame controller 606 and implemented on the secondary controller instead.An advantage of this approach, like for the player tracking controller,is that software approval process for the software executed by thesecondary controller can be less intensive than the process needed toget software approved for the game controller. Thus, in particularembodiments, it may be advantageous to provide the software involvingwireless communications with portable electronic devices in a secondarycontroller.

A mass storage unit(s) 620, such as a device including a hard drive,optical disk drive, flash memory or some other memory storage technologycan be used to store applications and data used and/or generated by thegaming device 604. For instance, a mass storage unit, such as 620, canbe used to store gaming applications executed by the game controller 606where the gaming device 604 can be configured to receive downloads ofgame applications from remote devices, such as server 602. In oneembodiment, the game controller 606 can include its own dedicated massstorage unit. In another embodiment, critical data, such as game historydata stored in the power-hit tolerant memory 630 can be moved from thepower-hit tolerant memory 630 to the mass storage unit 620 at periodicintervals for archival purposes and to free up space in the power-hittolerant memory 630.

The gaming device 604 can include security circuitry 622, such assecurity sensors and circuitry for monitoring the sensors. The securitycircuitry 622 can be configured to operate while the gaming device isreceiving direct power and operational to provide game play as well aswhen the gaming device is uncoupled from direct power, such as duringshipping or in the event of a power failure. The gaming device 604 canbe equipped with one or more secure enclosures, which can include locksfor limiting access to the enclosures. One or more sensors can belocated within the secure enclosures or coupled to the locks. Thesensors can be configured to generate signals that can be used todetermine whether secure enclosures have been accessed, locks have beenactuated or the gaming device 604, such as a mobile device has beenmoved to an unauthorized area. The security monitoring circuitry can beconfigured to generate, store and/or transmit error events when thesecurity events, such as accessing the interior of the gaming device,have occurred. The error events may cause the game controller 606 toplace itself in a “safe” mode where no game play is allowed until theerror event is cleared.

The server 602 can be configured to provide one or more functions togaming devices or other servers in a gaming system 600. The server 602is shown performing a number of different functions. However, in variousembodiments, the functions can be divided among multiple servers whereeach server can communicate with a different combination of gamingdevices. For instance, player interface support 636 and gaming devicesoftware 638 can be provided on a first server, progressives can beprovided on a second server, loyalty program functions 640 andaccounting 648 can be provided on a third server, linked gaming 644 canbe provided on a fourth server, cashless functions 646 can be providedon a fifth server and security functions 650 can be provided on a sixthserver. In this example, each server can communicate with a differentcombination of gaming devices because each of the functions provided bythe servers may not be provided to every gaming device in the gamingsystem 600. For instance, the server 602 can be configured to provideprogressive gaming functions to gaming devices 604, 652 and 656 but notgaming device 654. Thus, the server 602 may not communicate with themobile gaming device 654 if progressive functions are not enabled on themobile gaming device at a particular time.

Typically, each server can include an administrator interface thatallows the functions of a server, such as 602, to be configured andmaintained. Each server 602 can include a processor and memory. In someembodiments, the servers, such as 602, can include a game controllerwith components, such as but not limited to a power-hit tolerant memory630, a trusted memory 632 and an RNG 634 described with respect togaming device 604. The servers can include one or more networkinterfaces on which wired or wireless communication protocols can beimplemented. Next, some possible functions provided by the server 602are described. These functions are described for the purposes ofillustration only and are not meant to be limiting.

The player interface support 636 can be used to serve content to gamingdevices, such as 604, 652, 654 and 656, remote to the server. Thecontent can include video and audio content that can be output on one ofthe player interfaces, such as 608, 652 a, 654 a and 656 a. Further, thecontent can be configured to utilize unique features of a particularplayer interface, such as video displays, wheels or reels, if theparticular player interface is so equipped.

In one embodiment, via the player interface support, content can beoutput to all or a portion of a primary video display that is used tooutput wager-based game outcomes on a player interface associated with agaming device. For instance, a portion of the primary display can beallocated to providing a “service window” on the primary video displaywhere the content in the service window is provided from a server remoteto the gaming device. In particular embodiments, the content deliveredfrom the server to a gaming device as part of the player interfacesupport 636 can be affected by inputs made on the gaming device. Forinstance, the service window can be generated on a touch screen displaywhere inputs received via the service window can be sent back to server602. In response, to the received inputs, the server 602 can adjust thecontent that is displayed on the remote gaming device that generated theinputs.

The “service window” application can be generated by software code thatis executed independently of other game controller software in a secure“sandbox.” Via the sandbox, an executable can be given limited access tovarious resources on an EGM, such as a portion of the CPU resources andmemory available on a game controller. The memory can be isolated fromthe memory used by other processes, such as game processes executed bythe game controller.

As described above, a service window application can be allowed tocontrol, send and/or receive data from secondary devices on a gamingdevice, such as a video display, a touch screen power interfaces orcommunication interfaces. A service window application allowed toutilize a communication interface, such as a wireless communicationinterface, can be configured to communicate with a portable electronicdevice via the communication interface independently of a gamecontroller on an EGM. Further details of utilizing a service window on agaming device on an EGM are described in U.S. patent application Ser.No. 12/209,608, by Weber et al., filed Sep. 12, 2008, titled “GamingMachine with Externally Controlled Content Display,” which is herebyincorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes.

In another embodiment, via the video display, the service windowapplication can be configured to output data in an optical image format,such as a 1-D/2-D bar-code or a QR code. The optically formatted datacan be captured by a camera on the portable electronic device. Forinstance, information about a promotion can be displayed in the servicewindow in a QR code format and transferred to a user's portableelectronic device via an image capture device on their portableelectronic device.

If a player's identity is known, then the player interface support 636can be used to provide custom content to a remote gaming device, such as604. For instance, a player can provide identification information, suchas information indicating their membership in a loyalty program, duringtheir utilization of a gaming device. The custom content can be selectedto meet the identified player's interests. In one embodiment, theplayer's identity and interests can be managed via a loyalty program,such as via a loyalty program account associated with loyalty function640. The custom content can include notifications, advertising andspecific offers that are determined to be likely of interest to aparticular player.

The gaming device software function 638 can be used to provide downloadsof software for the game controller and/or second controllers associatedwith peripheral devices on a gaming device. For instance, the gamingdevice software 638 may allow an operator and/or a player to select anew game for play on a gaming device. In response to the game selection,the gaming device software function 638 can be used to download gamesoftware that allows a game controller to generate the selected game. Inanother example, in response to determining that a new counterfeit billis being accepted by bill acceptors in the gaming system 600, the gamingdevice software function 638 can be used to download a new detectionalgorithm to the bill acceptors that allow the counterfeit bill to bedetected.

The progressive gaming function 642 can be used to implement progressivegame play on one or more gaming devices. In progressive game play, aportion of wagers associated with the play of a progressive game isallocated to a progressive jackpot. A group of gaming devices can beconfigured to support play of the progressive game and contribute to theprogressive jackpot. In various embodiments, the gaming devicescontributing to a progressive jackpot may be a group of gaming devicescollocated near one another, such as a bank of gaming machines on acasino floor, a group of gaming devices distributed throughout a singlecasino, or group of gaming devices distributed throughout multiplecasinos (e.g., a wide area progressive). The progressive gaming function642 can be used to receive the jackpot contributions from each of thegaming devices participating in the progressive game, determine acurrent jackpot and notify participating gaming devices of the currentprogressive jackpot amount, which can be displayed on the participatinggaming devices if desired.

The loyalty function 640 can be used to implement a loyalty programwithin a casino enterprise. The loyalty function 640 can be used toreceive information regarding activities within a casino enterpriseincluding gaming and non-gaming activities and associate the activitieswith particular individuals. The particular individuals can be known ormay be anonymous. The loyalty function 640 can used to store a record ofthe activities associated with the particular individuals as well aspreferences of the individuals if known. Based upon the informationstored with the loyalty function 640 comps (e.g., free or discountedservices including game play), promotions and custom contents can beserved to the particular individuals.

The linked gaming function 644 can be used to provide game playactivities involving player participating as a group via multiple gamingdevices. An example, a group of player might be competing against oneanother as part of a slot tournament. In another example, a group ofplayers might be working together in attempt to win a bonus that can beshared among the players.

The cashless function 646 can enable the redemption and the dispensationof cashless instruments on a gaming device. For instance, via thecashless function, printed tickets, serving as a cashless instrument,can be used to transfer credits from one gaming device to another gamingdevice. Further, the printed tickets can be redeemed for cash. Thecashless function can be used to generate identifying information thatcan be stored to a cashless instrument, such as a printed ticket, thatallows the instrument to later be authenticated. After authentication,the cashless instrument can be used for additional game play or redeemedfor cash.

The accounting function can receive transactional information fromvarious gaming devices within the gaming system 600. The transactionalinformation can relate to value deposited on each gaming device andvalue dispensed from each gaming device. The transactional information,which can be received in real-time, can be used to assess theperformance of each gaming device as well as an overall performance ofthe gaming system. Further, the transactional information can be usedfor tax and auditing purposes.

The security function 650 can be used to combat fraud and crime in acasino enterprise. The security function 650 can be configured toreceive notification of a security event that has occurred on a gamingdevice, such as an attempt at illegal access. Further, the securityfunction 650 can receive transactional data that can be used to identifyif gaming devices are being utilized in a fraudulent or unauthorizedmanner. The security function 650 can be configured to receive, storeand analyze data from multiple sources including detection apparatuslocated on a gaming device and detection apparatus, such as cameras,distributed throughout a casino. In response to detecting a securityevent, the security function 650 can be configured to notify casinopersonnel of the event. For instance, if a security event is detected ata gaming device, a security department can be notified. Depending on thesecurity event, one or more team members of the security department canbe dispatched to the vicinity of the gaming device. Next, a perspectivediagram of a slot-type gaming device that can include all or a portionof the components described with respect to gaming device 604 isdescribed.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective drawing of a gaming device 700 in accordancewith the described embodiments. The gaming device 700 is example of whatcan be considered a “thick-client.” Typically, a thick-client isconfigurable to communicate with one or more remote servers but providesgame play, such as game outcome determination, independent of the remoteservers. In addition, a thick-client can be considered as such becauseit includes cash handling capabilities, such as peripheral devices forreceiving cash, and a secure enclosure within the device for storing thereceived cash. In contrast, thin-client device, such as a mobile gamingdevice, may be more dependent on a remote server to provide a componentof the game play on the device, such as game outcome determination,and/or may not include peripheral devices for receiving cash and anassociated enclosure for storing it.

Many different configurations are possible between thick and thinclients. For instance, a thick-client device, such as 700, deployed in acentral determination configuration, may receive game outcomes from aremote server but still provide cash handling capabilities. Further, theperipheral devices can vary from gaming device to gaming device. Forinstance, the gaming device 700 can be configured withelectro-mechanical reels to display a game outcome instead of a videodisplay, such as 710. Thus, the features of gaming device 700 aredescribed for the purposes of illustration only and are not meant to belimiting.

The gaming device 700 can include a main cabinet 702. The main cabinet702 can provide a secure enclosure that prevents tampering with thedevice components, such as a game controller (not shown) located withinthe interior of the main cabinet and cash handing devices including acoin acceptor 720, a ticket printer 726 and a bill acceptor 718. Themain cabinet can include an access mechanism, such as door 704, whichallows an interior of the gaming device 700 to be accessed. Theactuation of the door 704 can be controlled by a locking mechanism, suchas lock 716. The lock 716, the door 704 and the interior of the maincabinet 702 can be monitored with security sensors for detecting whetherthe interior has been accessed. For instance, a light sensor can beprovided to detect a change in light-level in response to the door 704being opened.

The interior of the main cabinet 700 can include additional secureenclosure, which can also be fitted with locking mechanisms. Forinstance, the game controller, such as game controller 606, shown inFIG. 4, can be secured within a separate locked enclosure. The separatelocked enclosure for the game controller may allow maintenance functionsto be performed on the gaming device, such as emptying a drop box forcoins, emptying a cash box or replacing a device, while preventingtampering with the game controller. Further, in the case of device witha coin acceptor, 720, the separate enclosure can protect the electronicsof the game controller from potentially damaging coin dust.

A top box 706 can be mounted to the top of the main cabinet 702. Anumber of peripheral devices can be coupled to the top box 706. In FIG.5, a display device 708 and a candle device 714 are mounted to the topbox 706. The display device 708 can be used to display informationassociated with game play on the gaming device 700. For instance, thedisplay device 708 can be used to display a bonus game presentationassociated with the play of a wager-based game (One or more bonus gamesare often features of many wager-based games). In another example, thedisplay device 708 can be used to display information associated with aprogressive game, such as one or more progressive jackpot amounts. Inyet another example, the display device 708 can be used to display anattract feature that is intended to draw a potential player's attentionto the gaming device 700 when it is not in use.

The candle device 714 can include a number of lighting elements. Thelighting elements can be lit in different patterns to draw attention tothe gaming device. For instance, one lighting pattern may indicate thatservice is needed at the gaming device 700 while another light patternmay indicate that a player has requested a drink. The candle device 714is typically placed at the top of gaming device 700 to increase itsvisibility. Other peripheral devices, including custom bonus devices,such as reels or wheels, can be included in a top box 706 and theexample in FIG. 5 is provided for illustrative purposes only. Forinstance, some of the devices coupled to the main cabinet 702, such asprinter 726, can be located in a different top box configuration.

The gaming device 700 provides a player interface that allows the playof a game, such as wager-based game. In this embodiment, the playerinterface includes 1) a primary video display 710 for outputting videoimages associated with the game play, 2) audio devices, such as 722, foroutputting audio content associated with game play and possibly casinooperations, 3) an input panel 712 for at least providing game playrelated inputs and 4) a secondary video display 708 for outputting videocontent related to the game play (e.g., bonus material) and/or thecasino enterprise (e.g., advertising). In particular embodiments, one orboth of the video displays, 708 and 710, can be equipped with a touchscreen sensor and associated touch screen controller, for detectingtouch inputs, such as touch inputs associated with the play of a game ora service window output to the display device.

The input panel 712 can include a number of electro-mechanical inputbuttons, such as 730, and/or touch sensitive surfaces. For instance, theinput panel can include a touch screen equipped video display to providea touch sensitive surface. In some embodiments, the functions of theelectro-mechanical input buttons can be dynamically reconfigurable. Forinstance, the function of the electro-mechanical input buttons may bechanged depending on the game that is being played on the gaming device.To indicate function changes, the input buttons can each include aconfigurable display, such as an e-ink or a video display for indicatingthe function of button. The output of the configurable display can beadjusted to account for a change in the function of the button.

The gaming device 700 includes a card reader 728, a printer 726, a coinacceptor 720, a bill and/or ticket acceptor 720 and a coin hopper (notshown) for dispensing coins to a coin tray 732. These devices canprovide value input/output capabilities on the gaming device 700. Forinstance, the printer 726 can be used to print out tickets redeemablefor cash or additional game play. The tickets generated by printer 726as well as printers on other gaming devices can be inserted into billand ticket acceptor 718 to possibly add credits to the gaming device700. After the ticket is authenticated, credits associated with theticket can be transferred to the gaming device 700.

The device 718 can also be used to accept cash bills. After the cashbill is authenticated, it can be converted to credits on the gamingdevice and used for wager-based game play. The coin acceptor 720 can beconfigured to accept coins that are legal tender or tokens, such astokens issued by a casino enterprise. A coin hopper (not shown) can beused to dispense coins that are legal tender or tokens into the cointray 732.

The various aspects, embodiments, implementations or features of thedescribed embodiments can be used separately or in any combination.Various aspects of the described embodiments can be implemented bysoftware, hardware or a combination of hardware and software. Thecomputer readable medium is any data storage device that can store datawhich can thereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of thecomputer readable medium include read-only memory, random-access memory,optical media (e.g., CD-ROMs, DVDs,), magnetic tape, solid state drives(e.g., flash drives) and optical data storage devices. The computerreadable medium can also be distributed over network-coupled computersystems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in adistributed fashion.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specificnomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention.However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specificdetails are not required in order to practice the invention. Thus, theforegoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present inventionare presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formsdisclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art thatmany modifications and variations are possible in view of the aboveteachings.

The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and its practical applications, to therebyenable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention andvarious embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of theinvention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.

While the embodiments have been described in terms of several particularembodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents, whichfall within the scope of these general concepts. It should also be notedthat there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods andapparatuses of the present embodiments. It is therefore intended thatthe following appended claims be interpreted as including all suchalterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the truespirit and scope of the described embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for establishing communication between aportable electronic device and an electronic gaming machine within agaming environment, the method comprising: receiving wireless signaldata transmitted from the portable electronic device; determining awireless signal strength relative to the electronic gaming machine basedon the wireless signal data; and based on a determination that thewireless signal strength relative to the electronic gaming machine hasincreased, exceeded a predetermined threshold level, and leveled off foran amount of time exceeding a time threshold after becoming stronger,initiating a wireless communication link between the electronic gamingmachine and the portable electronic device.
 2. The method of claim 1,further comprising: monitoring the wireless signal strength relative tothe electronic gaming machine subsequent to initiating the wirelesscommunication link.
 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:terminating the wireless communication link when the wireless signalstrength relative to the electronic gaming machine decreases below thepredetermined threshold level.
 4. The method of claim 2, furthercomprising: detecting that the wireless signal strength relative to theelectronic gaming machine has leveled off to a non-zero strength afterdecreasing; and determining whether the gaming device is engaged in anactive game play session.
 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:terminating the wireless communication link when the wireless signalstrength relative to the electronic gaming machine has leveled off to anon-zero strength after decreasing and the electronic gaming device isnot engaged in an active game play session.
 6. The method of claim 1,further comprising: prior to initiating the wireless communication link,determining that the electronic gaming machine is not engaged in anactive game play session.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:estimating a current position of the portable electronic device based onthe wireless signal strength; and estimating a future position of theportable electronic device based on the current position.
 8. The methodof claim 1, further comprising: prior to initiating the wirelesscommunication link, sending an attract feature to the portableelectronic device, wherein the attract feature is related to theelectronic gaming machine.
 9. A server, comprising: a memory; a networkinterface configured to receive wireless signal data from a portableelectronic device within a gaming environment; and a processorconfigured to: receive wireless signal data transmitted from theportable electronic device; determine a wireless signal strengthrelative to an electronic gaming machine based on the wireless signaldata; and based on a determination that the wireless signal strengthrelative to the electronic gaming machine has increased, exceeded apredetermined threshold level, and leveled off for an amount of timeexceeding a time threshold after becoming stronger, initiate a wirelesscommunication link between the electronic gaming machine and theportable electronic device.
 10. The server of claim 9, wherein theprocessor is further configured to: monitor the wireless signal strengthrelative to the electronic gaming machine subsequent to initiating thewireless communication link.
 11. The server of claim 10, wherein theprocessor is further configured to: terminate the wireless communicationlink when the wireless signal strength relative to the electronic gamingmachine decreases below the predetermined threshold level.
 12. Theserver of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to:determine that the wireless signal strength relative to the electronicgaming machine has leveled off to a non-zero strength after decreasing;and determine whether the gaming device is engaged in an active gameplay session.
 13. The server of claim 12, wherein the processor isfurther configured to: terminate the wireless communication link whenthe wireless signal strength relative to the electronic gaming machinehas leveled off to a non-zero strength after decreasing and theelectronic gaming device is not engaged in an active game play session.14. The server of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configuredto: prior to initiating the wireless communication link, determine thatthe electronic gaming machine is not engaged in an active game playsession.
 15. The server of claim 9, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to: estimate a current position of the portable electronicdevice based on the wireless signal strength; and estimate a futureposition of the portable electronic device based on the currentposition.
 16. The server of claim 9, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to: prior to initiating the wireless communication link, sendan attract feature to the portable electronic device, wherein theattract feature is related to the electronic gaming machine.
 17. Amethod performed by a server having a processor, a memory, and a networkinterface, comprising: receiving, via the network interface, wirelesssignal data transmitted from a portable electronic device within agaming environment; determining a wireless signal strength based on thewireless signal data; based on the wireless signal strength, determininga nearest available electronic gaming machine from a plurality ofelectronic gaming machines within the gaming environment; based on adetermination that the wireless signal strength has increased, exceededa predetermined threshold level, and leveled off for an amount of timeexceeding a time threshold after becoming stronger, initiating awireless communication link between the nearest available electronicgaming machine and the portable electronic device.
 18. The method ofclaim 17, further comprising: terminating the wireless communicationlink when the wireless signal strength decreases below the predeterminedthreshold level.
 19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:determining a current position of the portable electronic device basedon the wireless signal data; and estimating a future position of theportable electronic device based on the current position.
 20. The methodof claim 17, further comprising: prior to initiating the wirelesscommunication link, sending an attract feature to the portableelectronic device, wherein the attract feature is related to the nearestavailable electronic gaming machine.